How do you make a drag racing, Nissan GT-R beating monster out of a 1970s vintage Datsun 1200? If you're John "Plasma Boy" Wayland, you start by yanking out the almost 40-year-old internal combustion engine and all of its support systems. In its place, Wayland installed a lithium ion battery pack that sends 355.2 volts to an electric motor with a 2,000-amp controller.
The end result is the White Zombie, an EV that makes 772 foot-pounds of instant-on torque, hits 60 mph in less than two seconds, and tears up the quarter mile in 10.4 seconds at 117.23 mph. (Rather cheekily, Wayland's Web site lists the White Zombie's estimated range as "at least a quarter mile!")
Check out the video below to see the little electric Datsun leaving the mighty Nissan GT-R in its wake at the Portland International Raceway in Oregon. When you're done, head over to Wired's Autotopia and then Plasma Boy Racing for the full story of Wayland and the White Zombie's path to greatness.